Gharrett Patrick Paon

Photos with Gharrett Patrick Paon

Biography

Gharrett Patrick Paon is a Métis-Canadian actor who was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In grade eleven, at the Halifax Grammar School, he auditioned on a whim for a part in the high school musical, Bye Bye Birdie. Surprisingly he was cast in the comedic role of Hugo Peabody. As soon as he finished his first performance and his heart felt like it was going to blow through his chest he knew he was hooked. Performing became a drug. Read more... Into the Woods.

After Bye Bye Birdie Gharrett acquired an agent and began auditioning for local screen productions. He was cast on his fist audition for his uncanny imitation of a "Pete Townsend Whirlwind Strum". Over the next few months he continued to book supporting roles, including Lifetime's The Tenth Circle.

After graduating with an International Baccalaureate Degree in 2008, he decided to move to Vancouver, BC to pursue acting as a career. Within a few months he booked a recurring role as Ben on The CW's Life Unexpected over two seasons. This led to his role as Kris Echols in the first season of AMC's Emmy-nominated The Killing. In preparation to play a meth addicted "Emo" runaway, Gharrett fasted for 3 days, went to open NA meetings in character and studied the biographies of Damien Echols and Marilyn Manson. It was this role where Gharrett discovered his preference for "method acting", staying in character while on set, a practice he still holds to if circumstances allow. He has the characters initials tattooed on his right forearm, where Kris would have injected his meth-filled syringe. The tattoo represents a benchmark for research and commitment for his future roles.

With aspirations to one-day start his own production company, he enrolled at Dalhousie University in the Bachelor of Commerce Co-Op program, where he is currently in his second year. While in school, Gharrett works as an associate producer at Arcadia Content Inc., a factual entertainment company in Halifax. At Arcadia he has helped produce NGCI's 4-hour documentary special Deadly Journeys of the Apostles and is currently producing a 12 x 30min wildlife series called Wild Wild East for the Love Nature network.

Last year Gharrett booked recurring roles on Syfy's Haven, the feature film Relative Happiness and an episode of CBC's critically acclaimed series The Book of Negroes.

In April 2015 Gharrett was nominated for an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Acting in a Leading Role for his role as Syd Stone in the short film I am Syd Stone about a Hollywood heartthrob who returns home to rekindle a closeted relationship with the one man who truly knows the person behind the persona he's created. In preparation for I am Syd Stone, Gharrett committed to a two-month strict fitness and meal plan where he gained 15lbs of muscle.

In the next year audiences can expect to see Gharrett in the web companion series to Thom Fitzgerald's series Forgive Me and in supporting roles in North Mountain, the first LGBTQ Aboriginal film, directed by emerging Métis filmmaker Bretten Hannam and the horror film The Child Remains, directed by Michael Melski.